State Of The Libraries Address

Today is Library Advocacy Day here in the States, which will entail a rally and a meeting with elected officials in Washington D.C. Meghan has a really nice post up about it over at her blog, Recreational Reading, which includes some library factoids you may not be aware of.

I don't spend a lot of blog space talking about my job. Admittedly I know the "librarian thing" makes me ever-so-slightly unique among the blogging masses, but it's not something I discuss in great detail. I have loads of reasons for this, but at the end the day it comes down to me knowing my place in the universe. I truly believe my job is important, that libraries are important, and that librarians help change lives for the better every day. But do I think my job is "more important" than say, that of a firefighter, a police officer, a nurse, a teacher, or a garbage man? Not really. I understand my place in the universe, and I know that in economic crap times like we're experiencing right now, that libraries are going to get the short end of the stick, no matter how "important" we are. It's the nature of the beast.

That being said, as the Unofficial Librarian Representative of Romance Bloglandia, plus because I want to, I thought I would talk about what my work as a collection development librarian is like right now. What with our new fiscal year beginning next week.

It's going to suck.

It's going to suck so hard that I'm probably going to lose fillings.

Currently, where I work, we are not cutting hours, all branches are staying open, and we haven't cut permanent staff. What has happened? We have no "substitute" help to speak of. So if your children's librarian goes out on maternity leave, or the branch manager's appendix bursts, there are no substitute workers you can call in to help you run your branch. So yeah, it's great we haven't cut hours or closed branches, but in many cases we're majorly short-staffed. Also? Our materials budget will be slashed by over 50% this new fiscal year. Yes, I will somehow have to figure out how to buy books for 30+ libraries with 50% less money than I had last year.

If you see me in the hotel bar at RWA in a few weeks, and I'm sobbing uncontrollably over my cosmopolitan, this would be why.

The truth of the matter is that I wasn't buying nearly the amount of titles and copies I should have been for a library system our size. We were making due. In many cases, as a library user, you might not find the book you wanted at your local branch, but chances are we had it in the system somewhere and could ship it over to you. Or if we didn't own it at all, we would do our best to buy a copy(s). This next year? Yeah. Well, I'm going to have to make hard choices. Some books are just not going to get bought. Period. I'm going to have to say no to some things. I'm going to have to cut way down on how many copies get ordered. And that means people will have to wait even longer than they were waiting before.

In the grand scheme of things, I shouldn't be whining. As bad as it is for my employer, there are neighboring libraries who have it a lot worse. I've heard everything from cutting hours, closing branches to...brace yourselves for it...no materials budget. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch. As in no money to buy books, DVDs, CDs, ebooks, newspapers, magazines, etc. at all. None. Zero. Ain't happening.

Which ultimately means, of course, that those people who typically use the surrounding libraries will likely land on our doorstep. Because while our budget is gonna blow, at least we'll be buying some new things. Uh, occasionally. When I find some change under couch cushions.

The nature of this post isn't for you, the gentle blog reader, to feel sorry for me (poor, poor Wendy ::eyeroll::), but to help you understand what it's like right now for the library community. God bless librarians, we're a lot like romance readers. We have a massive inferiority complex and it's one of the few jobs on the planet where we constantly have to justify our right to exist. The only thing that really works in our favor is that people generally have warm, fuzzy feelings about the library. Only a monster would come right out and say, "I hate libraries." It would be liking saying you hate puppies, kittens, rainbows, and pretty flowers. So in hard times, as politicians look for ways to slash budgets, the community does tend to support and rally around public libraries.

If you ever want to see democracy in action, just wander into your local library. It's the one place in the community that is open and free for all. We serve everybody. The entire public. Even the folks we don't like all that much. Because it's our job. It's what we do. And certainly there are some days when we want to toss all the computers out the front door and run over them with a Hummer, but we don't. Because for all the aggravation, all the trials, deep down we know our job is important. And we'll justify the hell out of it until the last breath leaves our body.

So be nice to your local librarian the next time you see them. Smile at the clerk who checks out your books. Don't argue about that 25 cent overdue fine. Don't lie to us and say you didn't leave that book out in the rain, you checked it out like that and just pay the replacement fee. Try to understand that we're doing the best we can with what we have to work with (which isn't much!) while trying to meet the growing demands of communities that are relying on us more and more.

That's the state of libraries right now. Overworked, stressed out staff trying to figure out how we're going to meet the needs of the community. Actually not that different from a lot of other public service jobs at the moment. Sad to say.

Random Romance Sunday: The Princess And The Blue-Eyed Warrior

The Book: Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin

The Particulars: Harlequin Historical, October 2010, Not Yet Published

The Blurb:

During China’s infamous Tang Dynasty, a time awash with luxury, yet littered with deadly intrigues and fallen royalty, betrayed Princess Ai Li flees before her wedding.

Miles from home, with only her delicate butterfly swords for a defense, she enlists the reluctant protection of a blue-eyed warrior…

Battle-scarred, embittered Ryam has always held his own life at cheap value. Ai Li’s innocent trust in him and honorable, stubborn nature make him desperate to protect her – which means not seducing the first woman he has ever truly wanted….

Is It In Wendy's TBR?: Not yet. But it shall be...

Any Reviews?: This book doesn't come out until October, so no. But! It did win the RWA Golden Heart for best historical romance manuscript at last year's RWA conference in Washington D.C. What I remember about Lin's acceptance speech? When she announced the story had sold to Harlequin/Mills & Boon. I almost stood up in the aisle and started dancing a jig. No lie.

And while cover quotes generally don't move me, Lin received two nice ones for this book:

“Swords, warrior princesses, and a barbarian to love! Butterfly Swords was a delight!”

– Jade Lee, USA Today bestseller

“In Butterfly Swords, Jeannie Lin tells a classic tale of courage, adventure, and impossible love—and she sets it in a fascinating new world: Tang China , where a warrior princess must fight for her family and her country with only a barbarian swordsman to help her. Jeannie Lin is a fresh new voice in historical romance, and Butterfly Swords rocks!”

– Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestseller, author of Never Less Than a Lady

Anything Else?: I'm really very excited about this book. The setting alone sold me on it, but the author winning the Golden Heart also helps grease the wheels. Over the years I've read a handful of Golden Heart winners, as the books got picked up by publishers, and they tend to be good, solid reads. So I'm expecting good things here with Lin's debut.

She's Got Ambition Baby

When I first heard about Maid To Match by Deeanne Gist all the way back in December 2009, I knew I was going to have to read it. Inspirational or no, I've literally been waiting for this book my whole historical romance reading loving life. A romance between a lady's maid and footman? Seriously, how can I not read this? And while it didn't quite live up to the immense hype I managed to conjure in my wee lil' librarian brain, it was still a very solid read, and one of the more memorable historicals I've run up against this year.

At 18, Tillie Reese has learned she is in the running to become Mrs. Vanderbilt's new lady's maid. Currently head parlormaid, getting promoted to lady's maid would be a huge honkin' deal. Only the housekeeper is higher in rank among the female staff, and the lady's maid gets to bathe whenever she darn well pleases, gets to read books aloud to Mrs. Vanderbilt, gets to dress in the same incredible fashions, and she'll get to travel with the Vanderbilts! It's what she, and her mother, have been working towards the past 18 years and it's almost within Tillie's grasp. However there's another girl in the running for the position, so Tillie has her work cut out for her. She cannot afford any distractions or any slip-ups. And that's when Mack Danvers shows up.

Mack's twin bother Earl already works up the Biltmore estate for the Vanderbilts as a footman. With both of their parents now gone, the boys have had to split up their family - farming the younger boys out to neighbors in their mountain community and putting the youngest girl in the local orphanage. When he finds out that the supposedly fine, upstanding head of the orphanage is beating the girls, he's determined to get his sister out of there. But for that he needs money, a lot more than he's making in his current job, and Earl's playboy ways means he's no help whatsoever. Then, in an amazing turn of events, he's offered a job at the Biltmore as the new useful man. He's loathe to take it, but dang, the Vanderbilts pay very well. More money means he can reunite the family that much sooner.

Of course, this throws a wrench into Tillie's ambitions. Naturally Mrs. Vanderbilt doesn't want Mack to be a useful man forever. He's just as handsome as his twin brother, and just think? Identical twin footmen! She'll be the envy of...well...every lady capable of breath. But Mack has spent his whole life in the mountains. He tends to speak freely and readily use his fists when someone crosses him the wrong way. It's up to Tillie to mold him into a proper servant, and getting her head turned by him is not an option. Getting tangled up with the fellow servant would lead to immediate dismissal and her dreams would go up in smoke.

Mack is this great mix of Alpha and Beta hero. Certainly he's rough around the edges, and uses his fists, but it's always to protect those in need. Women and children mostly. Because while many men from the mountain aren't big on equal rights, his father raised the boys to respect women. Period. So when Mack sees injustice, he tends to hit first and ask questions later. He's also immediately smitten with Tillie, and desperate to catch her favor. He knows she's also attracted to him, but he can't understand why she's so determined to give up her entire youth, a chance to marry and have children of her own, to serve some rich lady.

Tillie takes immense pride in her work, and sees the chance at being the new lady's maid as her ticket to a better life. Yes, she'll have to give up marriage and children. And yes, she'll be thrown over for some new young thang once she reaches a certain age. But, lady's maids are paid very, very well. It's money that can be used to help out her parents and further her own philanthropic endeavors. Plus, Mrs. Vanderbilt does a lot of good in the community. As a lady's maid, she could be part of that. The problem is, the more time she spends with Mack, the more she begins to question her dream. Is being a lady's maid really what she wants?

The author delivers a wonderful sense of place, utilizing the immense backdrop of the Biltmore to set her story. She also manages to portray the most realistic depiction of servants I've ever read in a romance novel. Granted, that's probably not saying much, since the historical accuracy of "the staff" in historical romances has always been laughable, at best. She gets the feel of "below stairs" just right. The gossip. The hierarchy. The demands. All of it. And to top it off we get an author's note at the end, explaining...well...a lot (FYI - American servant class = different from British servant class).

Given that this is an inspirational, "God stuff" should be expected. It's actually light to non-existent for the first half of the story. It becomes more prevalent in the latter half, as Tillie wrestles with the notion of what she really wants out of her life. The romance here is solid, but I actually wished it had been developed a bit more thoroughly. The attraction between Mack and Tillie is quite obvious. What isn't so obvious is them "falling in love." I wanted a lot more "how and why" and instead it just sort of "happens."

I also was a wee bit taken aback by a dark moment that occurs in the latter portion of this story. Not that the first half was light and fluffy, but just that it had the definite feel of "upstairs/downstairs" with the drama of dealing with visiting, and demanding, house guests. Certainly I enjoy "gritty" moments in my romances, welcome them in fact, but there's a development during the climatic final chapters that literally made me sit up, take notice, and wonder "what the?!?!?!" Was it realistic? Sadly, yes. Was it shocking? Way yes. It certainly does the job of moving the story through the concluding chapters, but I can't help but feel like I was blindsided with a sledge-hammer. Now obviously, the story ends the way all historical romances should end (yes, happy ending), but that doesn't make that moment any less shocking, any less troubling, or, most importantly, any less upsetting.

I loved the backdrop of the Biltmore Estate and the North Carolina mountains. I loved the careful historical research detailing the lives of the servants. I loved that while the Vanderbilts played decent-sized supporting roles, that this story was really about those people who served them. It's a strong, solid historical romance. If you're an inspirational fan, you need to plan on reading this book. Like, now. And for those of you desperate for the kind of story that secular publishers of historical romance seem determined to never give us? I didn't think it was great, but that doesn't make it any less good.

Final Grade = B

Booktastic Bus For Sale

My Mom isn't much of a book reader. She apparently used to be, before three kids, working her way through college, a full time job, and taking care of a household sucked up all her time. What she has always done though is read the newspaper. Every day, without fail, every section, all of it. She is also "one of those" who clips out newspaper articles and sends them to people. Oh, like her daughters. I can always count on her sending me any clippings that have anything to do with librarians, libraries, romance novels, or books in general. However, every so often she joins the 21st century, finds the article online and e-mails it to me. Which is what she did last night. And behold! The most wonderful blog fodder ever!

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the dormant Bookmobile for the Kalamazoo Public Library. The 1994 Venture Farber Specialty Vehicle has 119,000 miles on it and is currently for sale for the bargain price of $19,000, or any reasonable offer.

Like many libraries across the country, KPL is shuttering it's bookmobile due to declining demand for the service and a craptastic budget. Mom thinks I should buy it to put my TBR Mountain Range on wheels. Frankly, I'm thinking the So. Cal. Bloggers should buy it. Just think of the possibilities! We could be like a traveling band of book gypsies! Like the romance genre equivalent to the ice cream man! It could be like Travels With Charley minus the dog! Like Smokey And The Bandit, but instead of bootlegging Coors beer we could be transporting romance novels over state and county lines!

I wonder, does the Bookmobile come with a CB radio?

Frankly, I think the idea has merit, although when I told My Man about it he seemed less than enthusiastic. Some nonsense about "where would we keep it?" and thinking $19,000 could be better spent on something other than an old Bookmobile. Personally? I think he lacks vision.

The So. Cal. Bloggers traveling the country spreading the lurve of romance novels. A totally kick-ass idea if I do say so myself. Sort of like in this clip from one of my favorite South Park episodes. Um, back when South Park was still funny. Here the boys hop on board the Booktastic Bus and discover the wonder of...romance novels. That could be us. But with more swearing, and less "chicken loving" (seriously, this whole episode is warped, which is probably why it's one of my personal favorites).

eBook Review: Parker's Price

Ever read a book that you know you should really dislike and yet...you don't? I can count on one hand how many times it has happened to me, but happened it has. And now I have a new title to add to my list of examples: Parker's Price by Ann Bruce. In this instance, I credit the author's skill for keeping me engaged in the story and a jaw-droppingly, sexy-beyond-words hero.

Parker Quinn is working overtime to make sure her charity auction is a rousing success, but instead she's dealing with an ex-boyfriend who just won't catch a clue. She counts her blessings when a devastatingly handsome stranger comes to her rescue, but then she finds out that said stranger is none other than Dean Maxwell. The same Dean Maxwell who knocked up her sister and abandoned her. Talk about a mood killer!

Dean's a little confused when the sexy woman he was flirting with immediately turns cold after he tells her his name, but he's not about to take no for an answer. So just as the charity auction is about to wrap up, he drops a very tidy sum of money to win a date with Parker. She's not happy, but is effectively cornered and there is no way to extricate herself. He immediately puts on the full court press in wooing her, and in doing so, Parker begins to question what she thinks she knows about the man.

Essentially what readers are going to get here is a category romance. If I were to label this one, using the print Harlequin lines, I would say this is a cross between a Harlequin Presents and a Silhouette Desire. Somewhere in that ball park at any rate. Dean certainly fits the mold of those types of heroes. He's Alpha all the way, sexy as sin, with plenty of money to throw around, and is also protective and persistent. Readers who generally gravitate towards hero first, heroine second, are going to be very happy with this guy. Yummers!

What didn't work so well for me in this story was the biggest aspect of the conflict and Parker's reaction to it. She's confronted by the guy who supposedly knocked up and abandoned her sister. What does she do? Nothing. Seriously? OK, unless you think your sister is a skank-tastic ho bag and you essentially have no relationship with her, who does that sort of thing? Dean tries to ask her about her cold shoulder and she brushes him off. Really? Really? Granted I love and adore my sisters, but even if we didn't have a strong relationship, had I been confronted by a guy who did something like that to them the very least I would have done is toss my drink in his face and let loose a string of expletives that would make a Marine blush. Parker does nothing. She stews. Oh and she spends time with him, flirts with him, and barely manages to keep her panties on around him. And I mean....barely.

Now, blessedly, this doesn't drag out for the whole story. And I do like that when confronted by aspects of Dean's personality that don't mesh with what she thinks she knows about him already, Parker does begin to question. But her not confronting him immediately with this perceived douchebaggery just did not ring true to me. At all.

With that aspect of the plot dealt with, the author throws in a suspense sub plot that is pretty light in the pants, but does keep the story moving along. While Parker does have trust issues, this isn't a real angst-y internal conflict driven read. Dean is blessedly free of stereotypical hero angst (OMG, a hero who had a happy childhood?!) so the job of keeping this story moving is thrust on Parker, the external conflict, and some smokin' hot love scenes that bring sexy back.

So what does that leave me with? A yummy beyond words hero (seriously, to die for), a heroine whose conflict response didn't ring true for me (at all), sexy love scenes, and external conflict that did the job, but didn't light my world on fire. Yep, we're left with a mixed bag.

Final Grade = C

This title can be purchased at Carina Press and other fine digital book outlets.

Blogger Fun, Facelifts, Book Anticipation, And Johnny Mac

To start off today's hodge-podge of linky goodness, I'm "on the road" today over at Access Romance Readers Gab talking about "why romance novels?" Think of all the reasons you like to read romance, throw those reasons in a pot, let it simmer on the stove, and what are you left with? Why not go on over, read my post, and let the whole Interwebs know?

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All About Romance has had a face lift! Go on over and take a gander. At first blush, I really like it. I haven't had a chance to poke around, navigate, or do much of anything other than glance at it - but it sure is pretty, and the front page is definitely loads more eye-catching! Congrats to the entire staff over there.

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On Saturday a whole horde of So. Cal. Bloggers and authors got together in honor of Pearl being in town (and since she lives in Europe, it was a big occasion!). I suck and did not take any pictures, but several others did, so be sure to make your blogging hopping rounds in the next few days. We had a great time, and the parking lot book exchange was off the hook - as usual. I restrained myself and didn't buy any books at Borders, and only snagged three books from the exchange (all from the trunk of Lori's car - I'm pretty sure). I've been trying to restrain myself in the book buying department of late because 1) my TBR pile is beyond embarrassing and 2) Yes, I am going to RWA next month.

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Holy crap! Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen comes out next week on June 29?! Why was I thinking it was a mid-July release? I mean, I already ordered our copies for work, but Gerritsen is one of those rare (rare, rare, way rare) authors I buy new and in hard cover. The release date sort of snuck up on me. Guess what will land in my shopping cart when I'm at Costco the weekend of July 2?


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This warmed the cockles of my heart when I made my blogging hopping rounds this morning. John MacDonald (AKA "Johnny Mac") of Toronto Blue Jays fame, hit a home run yesterday on Father's Day. His father passed away earlier in the week after a battle with liver cancer.

If you're a casual baseball fan and don't know who Johnny Mac is, that's not all that surprising. He's a career utility player, having spent the bulk of his years in Toronto (he did have a cup of coffee with my Tigers a few years back). He's very solid defensively (short stop and second base) but is not known for his bat. Well, at all. Most of the time he can't hit the broad side of a barn. But he played long ball yesterday, and don't that just beat all? Brings a tear to my eye it does. You can watch the video of his bomb here.

Way to go Johnny. Dad would be proud.

Random Romance Sunday: Wanted: Sexy Sheriff

The Book: Jack Murray, Sheriff by Janice Kay Johnson

The Particulars: Harlequin SuperRomance #913, 2000, Out Of Print

The Blurb:

Sheriff Jack Murray isn't the man for her...

Beth Sommers isn't looking for love.

She's concentrating on her daughters and her business -- and on convincing her ex-husband that their marriage really is over. Even if she was looking, it wouldn't be at a man like Sheriff Jack Murray.

She knows Jack's a good cop, a good man... one she can count on. She still figures she'll be better off with a quiet, gentle -- maybe even slightly boring -- guy. She's already had enough excitement to last her a lifetime.

But before long, Jack has her thinking that his kind of excitement is exactly what she needs.

Is It In Wendy's TBR?: Shockingly, no. But more on that in a minute...

Any Reviews?: Why, yes! RT gave this one 4.5 Stars:

Janice Kay Johnson adds a special touch to a problem ripped out of today's headlines with memorable characters, strong interplay and a few heart-stopping moments.

But the real meat and potatoes review can be found over at TRR, written by the lovely and incomparable Linda Mowery, who gave this one 4 Hearts (equivalent to a B grade):

During the first half of Jack Murray, Sheriff, I was mesmerized. As much as I like humor in a book, this serious, intense story had me hooked. I didn't laugh, didn't grin and didn't put the story down. Wow! Too bad the heroine had to go squirrely on me during the second half....

Jack Murray, Sheriff is refreshing in its honesty, its intensity and the depth used to explore second chances. Perhaps the second half will read as effortlessly for you as the first half did for me. If so, you're in for a real treat.

Anything Else?: I'll admit that I decided to highlight this book because the title tickled me. Jack Murray, Sheriff. Like Bond, James Bond. How about Mike, Plumber? Steve, Firefighter? Carlos, Real Estate Tycoon? Heck, I can keep this up all day folks!

Josh, IT Geek?

Bob, CPA?

Doug, Lawyer?

OK, I'll stop now.

Having only recently discovered her, I was naturally overjoyed to learn that Johnson tends to specialize in highly-charged, highly-emotional reads. Yeah, be warned that if you're "one of those" who like to tell me that all category romance is mindless fluff, I'm likely to chuck a JKJ novel at your head. Which might be OK for you, since JKJ is kickass, plus I throw like a girl. The experience isn't likely to be all that painful for you.

The only thing that has stopped me from falling into a full-blown glom with this author (besides my already ginormous TBR Mountain Range) is holy cow! This woman's backlist is huge! Although I have already managed to collect six of them. I'm trying to pace myself and not fall completely off the deep end. But heck, we all know it's likely just a matter of time...

If it hasn't happened already....

Oh hell, who am I kidding?

The Warrior And The Dye-Witch

Last year I reviewed Kris Kennedy's debut medieval romance, The Conqueror. What I said back then holds true for her second novel, The Irish Warrior. If you're a medieval fan and miss that big, sweeping quality of the old-school historical romances? Seriously, you need to drop everything and start reading this woman's books. Call in sick to work, tell your husband to make his own damn dinner, and threaten the kids that they should leave Mommy alone unless someone is on fire. Trust me, you've been waiting for these books.

Finian O'Melaghin was sent on a mission by his king to uncover just how much the treacherous Lord Rardove knows about the mythical Wishme dyes. Oh, like the fact that not only is the legendary dye capable of creating the most astonishing shade of indigo, but that it's also explosive. Needless to say, given the unsettling times of late 13th century Ireland, a lot of people want that recipe - including the evil Rardove, who immediately takes Finian prisoner, and goes about torturing him for answers.

Enter, stage left, Senna de Valery, an English wool merchant. She's come to Ireland to conduct business with Rardove, not realizing that she's walking straight into a trap. She's there to secure what could be a very lucrative deal (thereby saving her father's gambling butt...again). What she doesn't realize is that Rardove thinks she can reproduce the Wishme dyes for him, which means she's in a whole lot of danger. She learns quickly enough though, and immediately goes about trying to save her bacon. And to do that? She has to free a certain Irish warrior from the dungeons.

What follows is your classic textbook example of a road romance. Finian and Senna escape Rardove's clutches and then are on the run for pretty much the rest of the book. The sticking point, besides the bad guys, is that now Finian and Senna are at cross purposes. She wants to go in one direction, him another. But, no matter. They get it sorted out, and adventure ensues.

Finian is probably what is going to sell this book to a lot of romance readers. He's everything good about the old-school romance heroes. He's noble, he's loyal, he's fierce, and he finds himself falling hard for the heroine. Naturally, when he does fall, he will do anything to protect her. There's a moment towards the end of the book, during the climax, where he says something that actually made my heart melt. This is a man who, while having lived a hard life and been betrayed in the past, will not meekly toss aside the woman he not only has fallen in love with, but the woman who, literally, saved his life. Like I said, loyal.

Senna was a bit more problematic, mostly because I found her character a wee bit inconsistent. Make no mistake, she's breathtakingly awesome during the early chapters. She's a perfect romance heroine in every way. She's smart, she's fierce, and she's feisty (in a good way, not a braindead way). She connives, schemes and plans. She takes a stand. I wanted to run away with this woman and have babies with her, that's how much I loved her.

But then it all starts to slide a bit after she and Finian make their escape. She comes off, at times, as petulant and innocent. One moment she's worldly and wise, the next she pouts. She's a bit all over the map for me. What carried me through was her sheer awesomeness in the early chapters, and that some of that initial fierceness does peak through during the middle section. Also, her character finishes quite strong during the final chapters. I sort of felt like she ended up coming back full circle.

At the end of the day, there really is scads to love about this story. It has that sweeping saga-like feel to it. There's danger, intrigue and a hunky hero. There's a solid heroine who is a good match for him, and plenty of history, with some creative tweaking, to keep it all humming along. I mean, when was the last time you read about exploding dyes in a historical romance? It's unique enough, and plausible enough, to make for a dang intriguing read.

I've never professed to be a huge lover of the medieval time period, but I do love solid historicals, and Kris Kennedy has now written two of them. Run out and buy both, if for no other reason than I said so. Oh, and for the principle of the thing. Otherwise when (or if) you start whining about how all "historical romances are reading the same," I'm likely to throw something heavy at you. And I will aim for your head. Just sayin'.

Final Grade = B

TBR Challenge 2010: Hot And Cold Running Hero

The Book: One Night In Texas by Jane Sullivan

The Particulars: Harlequin Temptation #1022, 2005, Out of Print

Why Was It In The Bat Cave TBR?: Sullivan has also written single titles under the name Jane Graves. I read two books by Graves during my TRR tenure, one which caused me to lose I.Q. points (I Got You Babe), and another (Light My Fire) which I found highly enjoyable. It was because of that latter book that when I saw Sullivan/Graves at an RWA conference Literacy Signing (Reno 2005), I decided to buy one of her category romances. Plus, I used to really like the Temptation line.

The Review: I took this book along for what I foolishly thought was going to be a quick trip to the doctor's office. Instead, I was held hostage in a waiting room for 2 hours, on what should have been a 5 minute errand, and all I had to read was this book. So yes, admittedly, I was in a bitchy mood. But I can honestly say I don't think that had anything to do with me not liking this story. Here it goes:

When she was still living in Seattle, Alyssa Ballard had a week-long affair with a hunky guy named Derek Stafford. It was hot, it was heavy, and Alyssa thought she had found "the one." Then one week later, he hightails it out of town, leaving behind an abrupt "Dear Alyssa" note. Naturally, she then decides to track the guy down, only to learn he doesn't exist. There is no Derek Stafford. Everything he told her was a lie. Now living in Dallas, she still feels like a world-class fool for falling for him, but fallen she has. It doesn't help matters that the sex was off the charts. Hard to forget someone who is not only sexy as sin, but also good in bed.

Derek is a top secretive operative working for the government (what agency is never discussed - but gee, minor detail that). His job is to break into a penthouse and steal some DVDs that a scumbag is using to blackmail some congressmen. Little does he know he's breaking into a building that Alyssa, who works for a real estate tycoon, manages. Yep, naturally they run into each other and all hell breaks loose.

Ultimately the problem with this story is that I don't believe in the romance. At all. Derek is a career liar. Alyssa eventually drags the truth out of him, but that doesn't stop him from running hot and cold for the entire book. He charms her, he seduces her, and then he vanishes into thin air. Then he breezes back into her life, does it all over again, and then vanishes again. Finally the poor girl has to say "Look! Could you make up your mind already? I'm getting whiplash!" OK, so I paraphrased that, but as the reader, I felt the exact same way.

The author tries to explain this jackassery on his job (OK, I can see that) but then tosses in the requisite Poor Traumatic Wounded Childhood That All Idiot Romance Heroes Have To Have By Decree Of The Romancelandia Governing Council. He didn't know his Daddy, his Mommy was a Drunken, Drug-Addled Ho, and he went off to live with an uncle who gave him a place to live and fed him, but was emotionally absent. Newsflash: just because your childhood was shit doesn't give you a free pass to act like a jackass. I think I was supposed to feel sorry for this guy, and my maternal instincts were supposed to go all soft and gooey, but yeah - I wasn't buying.

Alyssa seems like a nice enough girl. Truly. But after a while the shine wears off because of her inability to control her hormones. Derek keeps running hot and cold, and instead of telling the guy to hit the road she can't seem to keep her panties on around him. Hey, I can totally understand being hot to trot for a guy, but after a while, him treating you like shit should be a bit of a wake-up call. Just sayin'.

The bright side here is that all this hot and cold running nonsense boils over into a pretty good confrontation scene at the end. Alyssa puts her foot down, which means Derek has to resort to a Grand Romantic Gesture Complete With Speech to win her back. It might have worked for me had I believed in Derek, at all. But I didn't, so essentially it didn't. A leopard can change his spots, certainly - but it takes more than Harlequin Temptation page-length (comparable to a Blaze) to convince me of that. Oh well. The happy couple is settling in Dallas. It's a pretty large city. Certainly there are plenty of marriage counselors (and divorce lawyers!) should it come down to that.

Final Grade = D+

That's two duddy reads in a row for Keishon's TBR Challenge. Here's hoping for better things next month.

Super Librarian Blogger Bundle #3 Coming Soon!

When I was first contacted by Harlequin, oh way back in late 2009, about putting together titles for suggested ebook bundles, I went whole-hog and gave them three. Thinking, of course, that they would pick the one they liked best. Instead, they decided to release all three! The Harvey Girls and Love, American Style bundles chock-full of Harlequin Historical goodness came out earlier this year. I was told my third bundle suggestion, the lone contemporary offering, would be held back for a July release.

I wanted all my bundles to have a central theme, and for that reason I looked quite a bit at series. Also, since I love the Harlequin SuperRomance line (one of the worst kept secrets in Romance Bloglandia) I knew I wanted to a do an HSR bundle. Super Librarian, SuperRomance. Get it? Seriously folks, this is about as clever as I get on a good day.

Kathryn Shay's America's Bravest series came out in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and was a series that centered around female firefighters. Code Of Honor (book #3) was actually included in the Dear Author bundle earlier this year, so if you were a reader who read that story via DA's bundle, and loved it - now is your chance to get the whole series! How cool is that?

Release date will be July 1, and as with past ebook bundles, it'll be available to purchase through several ebook vendors. Woot!

Random Romance Sunday: Colonial Chick In Pants

The Book: Swampfire by Patricia Potter

The Particulars: Harlequin Historical #6 (!), 1988, Out of Print

The Blurb:

A dangerous game

Defying her Tory father, Samantha Chatham donned a boyish masquerade and joined the notorious raiders tormenting the British in the Carolina swamps. Caught in the trap of her own deception, Samantha struggled with her longing for her ruggedly handsome partisan commander Connor O'Neill -- the one man who must never learn her true identity.

When Connor uncovered the beautiful woman beneath Samantha's shapeless garments, a passion ignited -- one neither of them could control. But his thirst for revenge threatened to destroy their precious bond... for Connor O'Neill had unknowingly fallen in love with his sworn enemy.

Is It In Wendy's TBR?: Nope, it's not. Further proof I don't own every Harlequin Historical ever published.

Any Reviews?: Looks like Mira reprinted this back in 1995, and you can find three Amazon customer reviews (two 5-stars, one 4-stars) there. Other than that? Not really. Although according to my mad Internet skillz, Potter won a Georgia Romance Writers' Maggie Award and an RT Reviewer's Choice Award for this, her debut book.

Anything Else?: Swampfire is a treasure trove of polarizing romance novel tropes. Hero bent on revenge? Check. Chick In Pants With Daddy Issues? Check. But, it's also a colonial, which is a time period that has a loyal (and hungry) following in Romancelandia. Here's the thing I've noticed about that setting: readers either really love it or they're totally indifferent to it. I'm firmly in the Indifferent Camp, admittedly because it's a time period in American history that doesn't really "cook" for me like early frontier (French and Indian War), post-Civil War, and late Victorian/early Edwardian.

The other thing that struck me about this book? The author quote from Elizabeth Kary on the front cover. Who the heck is Elizabeth Kary?!, I pondered. Turns out it's none other than Elizabeth Grayson who is well represented in my TBR Mountain Range. I have officially learned my one new thing for the day.

Ahem, anywho....

Potter has had a pretty amazing writing career with a variety of sub genres under her belt. For those of you who lurve her westerns, be sure to look for her first historical Harlequin Blaze title, The Lawman in September.

eBook Review: Song Of Seduction

I'm a simple girl, with simple tastes. A meat and potatoes girl, if you will. I'm not going to scoff at an eight-course meal, expertly presented - but I'm just as happy to settle in for a good steak, cooked to perfection (medium, thankyouverymuch) and a falling apart baked potato with plenty of butter and sour cream. Authors who consistently deliver "meat and potatoes" in novel form tend to keep me happy and satisfied. Then there are authors like Carrie Lofty who is, I'm beginning to believe, incapable of giving the reader "just meat and potatoes." No, it's an eight-course meal or nothing at all. With Song Of Seduction, readers should prepare to settle in, savor every morsel, and be at the restaurant for a while.

Eight years ago, as his mentor lay dying, Arie De Voss transcribed the man's final musical contribution to the world and promptly claimed it as his own. Love And Freedom gave him fame, allowed him to secure patrons and work, but that one act by a desperate man, is now casting a long shadow. Now living in Salzburg, Arie is hard at work composing a new symphony. A masterpiece that will, hopefully, cleanse his soul.

Mathilda Heidel is a prodigy on the violin, but holds that fact a closely guarded secret. Desperate for a respectable, proper existence, she abandoned her gift to marry a perfectly respectable doctor, a man she was not in love with. When he is tragically murdered, she goes to live with the Venner's. Lord Venner, a gifted politician, and his lovely wife, Ingrid, who is like a sister to Tilda. It's through the Venner's patronage that Tilda meets her musical idol, Arie De Voss. A man she has dreamed of, a man whose music has touched her soul. However it comes as a bit of a surprise to realize the man is nothing like the idea of him she placed on a very high pedestal. Be that as it may, he awakens her passion for the violin, and lessons begin. Lessons in music, lessons in passion, lessons in love, and more importantly, lessons in truth.

Let's get this out of the way up front: this is not a book you can abandon after the first 20, or even 50, pages if it fails to engage. The author is setting out to seduce the reader through the music and the characters, and frankly, that takes time. If you suffer from a short attention span, or are in a mood for "fast-paced," Song Of Seduction is going to be a slog of a read. It's a story designed to be savored. Slowly. Every morsel to be thoughtfully chewed and reflected upon. To illustrate this point, the author employs descriptive passages to weave a spell. As the reader, we can't hear the music, but we feel it. We feel it as a slow burn coursing through the characters' veins. As Arie seduces Tilda with his music, she seduces him with her violin.

The use of descriptive passages, the slow unfolding of the romance, did make the first half a slow starter for me. I struggled with this story for a while, unsure of how I truly felt about it, until I realized how truly remarkable and different it is. First, we have the backdrop of 1804 Salzburg, which the author spends time introducing us to. Then there's the fact that the heroine acts like one would expect a heroine in 1804 to act. I'm not a massive stickler for historical accuracy (::snort:: hardly), but even I get annoyed after a while with 19th century heroines who behave like hoydens, throw themselves at the hero, and toss up their skirts without so much as a by your leave. Everything a woman did, even the seemingly mundane, had consequences. One small step out of line, and you were branded. So being a violin prodigy, a widow with a tragic past, would be enough to brand Tilda as scandalous, and even worse. She's a woman haunted by the shadow of gossip, a woman willing to deny who she really is because of her desire to be perfectly ordinary. The problem being, of course, that she's anything but.

Arie is a bit more of a mysterious character than Tilda, and it takes a while to get a firm grip on the guy. He's talented in his own right, but haunted by that one fateful decision. His interpersonal skills are atrocious, but he finds he has to make nice with others if he wants to make a living with his music. He's captivated by Tilda, but is uncomfortable with her idolization. For her part, Tilda may idolize Arie, but she quickly learns that the man is, most of the time, insufferable. It's through the music that they find their way to each other, and through the music that they fall in love. When the truth (his and hers) comes spilling out, they are also, in part, healed by that music.

This is a hard book to assign a grade too. I've waffled on it quite a bit. The slow start had this one sitting around a C+/B- for a while. But as the author peeled back the layers, challenged her characters, revealed more of them, I realized how remarkable this story is. The interesting setting, the heroine who behaves like someone I'd expect to exist in 1804, the temperamental and musically gifted hero, and most importantly, the passion. True, unadulterated, pure passion. While one would think that's a given in every romance novel, it takes a story like Song Of Seduction for one to realize, that sadly, passion isn't always in abundant supply. So for all those reasons and probably a few more I haven't thought of yet....

Final Grade = B+

Song of Seduction is a digital-only release from Carina Press. It can be purchased at Amazon (Kindle), B&N (nook), and direct from the publisher (PDF and EPUB).

Top Five: Romance Paperbacks

We're winding up the end of our fiscal year around the office, which means Wendy has been ordering an obscene amount of books in order to spend every last penny. I've also been trying to pre-order as much as possible since it looks like next fiscal year is going to suck hardcore. Best to pre-order as much as I can now while I still have a few farthings to spend. Anywho, since I've been on a bit of a paperback spending spree, I thought now would be a good time to highlight the Top 5 Romance Paperback Originals in my library system according to the length of the wait list. Here they are:


Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts - Seriously, this shocks no one with two brain cells to rub together. It's Nora, it's the third book in a series, these books have been breathlessly beautiful to gaze upon, and did I mention it's Nora?








Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas - The sad truth is that I don't order nearly as many paperbacks as a library system my size should be ordering. However, what kills me, is that prior to my tenure, not even a thimble-full of titles were getting in system, and those that were added came via donations. It especially kills me for authors like Kleypas, who always has a strong showing for us. Seriously, only Nora is standing in her way of the top spot.





Darkness Within by Kinley MacGregor/Sherrilyn Kenyon - I actually ordered this one ages ago, and turns out the publication date got pushed back to October 26, 2010. Which means I just fired off an e-mail to our acquisitions department to make sure this order doesn't get canceled. Little known library factoid: if you preorder too far in advance, your order tends to get canceled. Which is why I try to adhere to the 1-3 month advance. Saves me and those in purchasing quite a bit of aggravation, although I'm sure library patrons would love to put their name on a wait list some 9 months out for certain titles.



Blood Born by Linda Howard & Linda Jones - You know, I've seen a few, but given the sheer volume of Linda Howard fangirls floating around the Interwebs, I'm surprised I haven't seen a bazillion reviews for this one. Are some of you jumping off the bandwagon? Or are you just "over" paranormal? And seriously, how much body oil did they rub that cover model down with?






Rule's Bride by Kat Martin - This is the final book in Martin's Bride trilogy, a series that has gained momentum for us with each release. I do recall the first book generated a modest waiting list, but I suspect more readers got snagged as they stumbled across the first two books sitting on new book shelves. Martin's been around forever, but I'd be lying if I didn't say the strong showing for this trilogy even surprises me just a tinch. But only a tinch....

Random Romance Sunday: A Virgin In The Hayloft

The Book: Sheik's Promise by Carole Howey

The Particulars: Love Spell, 1994, Out of Print

The Blurb:

A RUN FOR THE ROSES

Allyn Cameron had never been accused of being a Southern belle. Whether running her own saloon or competing in the Rapid City Steeplechase, the brazen beauty knew the thrill of victory and banked on winning. No man would take anything she possessed--not her business, not her horse, and especially not her virtue-- without the fight of his life.

An expert on horseflesh and women, Josh Manners desired only the best in both. Sent to buy Allyn's one-of-a-kind colt, he made it his mission to tame the thoroughbred's owner. But his efforts to win Allyn for his personal stable failed miserably when she roped, corralled, and, branded him with her scorching passion.

Is It In Wendy's TBR?: Uh, no.

Any Reviews?: Just a completely unhelpful and vague 1-star Amazon customer review. C'mon people. If a book is bad enough to earn a 1-star rating, you can froth at the mouth a bit and give me some gory details. Just sayin'.

Oh, and while I didn't find a review for this one in RT's archives, they did give the follow-up book, Sheik's Glory, 3 stars.

Anything Else?: You know how you can sometimes read a back cover blurb and just know a book would drive you batshit crazy if you tried to read it? That was my reaction here. The heroine runs and owns a saloon, nobody would accuse her of being a "Southern belle," (so not a snooty-tooty ladee) and yet there's that word "virtue" tossed in there that makes me think "Virgin ahoy!" Sorry. Nothing against virgins, but trying to picture one running and operating her own saloon in the Old West causes my brain to melt a little bit.

Also, I'm totally confused by the "Sheik" in this title. It's a western. I mean, how likely is it the hero is a sheik? Not very. So I'm going to guess that the horse's name is "Sheik." Which would make sense if it's some Arabian thoroughbred. But talk about misleading. Maybe Love Spell was hoping to not only snag western readers with this one, but also Sheik-lovin' hero readers who would buy this one without looking closely at the plot description....

And is that a little heart dotting the "i" in Sheik?! If the couple copulating in the hayloft doesn't scream "romance novel!" to the reader, that cutesy lil' heart surely will. Barf. I think I need to lie down and put a cool cloth on my forehead now....

The Month That Was May 2010

No, I'm still not over it. I'm currently working through the Kubler-Ross 5 Stages of Grief. Denial was fleeting (oh no he DIDN'T!), Anger hung on for a while, I skipped right over Bargaining and am now firmly entrenched in Depression. Honestly, I'm not sure Acceptance will ever come, mostly because this perfect game was what I was going to hang my hat on for the rest of the season. The wild card is coming out of the AL East (you can take that to the bank) and my team has been nothing if not consistent when it comes to losing to the Twins.

::Sigh::

But, on the bright side - look at my Armando. Isn't he a cutie-patootie? And he's now got a shiny red Corvette convertible from General Motors to drive around in.

Now, on to books. Even with the Super Librarian Parental Units in town the first part of the month, I managed to get 9 books read. It helped that the majority were category romances I agreed to read for an RWA chapter contest. So, for that reason, the recaps on those books will be....not as thorough. As in, no grades. But I'll do my best to convey my thoughts so y'all get the gist. Here we go!

Bride Of The Living Dead by Lynne Murray, Contemporary Chick Lit, 2010, Grade = B

• Chick Lit about a "fat girl" who finds her Prince Charming, and in a moment of insanity, lets her parents talk her into letting her anorexic sister help plan the wedding. Light and fluffy, featuring an unconventional heroine.
  

A Convenient Proposition by Cindy Gerard, Silhouette Desire, 2006, Grade = D-

• My read for Keishon's TBR Challenge almost made my brain bleed. Instead of growing a spine, heroine runs back to her hometown and lucks out when the sugary Beta hero steps in to fix her entire life. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Knocked-Up Heroine, Beta Hero Who Can Cook, Big Secret.
  

Accidental Cinderella by Nancy Robards Thompson, Silhouette Special Edition, 2009

• Heroine lands a job on a Food Network-like cooking show thanks to her BFF (who just happens to be a princess). There she runs up against the celebrity chef hero, who is licking his wounds over his ex-wife and a scandal that has rocked his career. Worth a look for Harlequin Presents fans, since this one had a lot of similarities to that line (but way lighter on the sex - hey, this is a SSE). Not a book I would have picked up on my own, but this one was solid. I would read this author again. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Every Woman Heroine, Alpha Hero Done Wrong By Ex, Glam Setting (France).
  

Her Best Bet by Pamela Ford, Harlequin SuperRomance, 2009

• Heroine on the cusp of her 10th high school reunion realizes she's abandoned her "dream" to work in film, and enters an amateur filmmakers competition. She wants to make a documentary about an old lodge on some property her family is planning to sell. Photojournalist hero comes home to discover the lodge his family has managed for 100 years is getting sold out from under them. Naturally the Big Secret hangs on for too long, but the setting is quite good, and I enjoyed the inclusion of the heroine's BFF, an aspiring actress. I would read this author again. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Heroine Who Hides Her True Identity, PTSD Sufferin' Hero, Kindly Grandparents, Big Secret, One Proposal-Poppin' Boyfriend Who Won't Take A Hint.
  

The Secret Mistress Arrangement by Kimberly Lang, Harlequin Presents, 2009

• The big pleasant surprise in my contest reading! Heroine is the maid of honor in her BFF's wedding, and has basically been the "go-to" gal when it comes to making sure everything runs smoothly. Workaholic hero is the best man, and with mutual lust, they agree to a "temporary fling." He lives in Atlanta, she's moving to the Alabama coast a week after the wedding. Honestly? This is an HP for readers who think they "don't like" HPs. You just have to be willing to look past the overblown title and equally overblown back cover copy. A few more pages and this easily could have been a Blaze. I have definite plans to read more stories by this author. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Just A Fling Please, Workaholic Hero, Type A Heroine, But But But...I Can't Tell Him/Her How I Really Feel!
  

For the Love of Family by Kathleen O'Brien, Harlequin SuperRomance, 2009

• Laid-off journalist heroine swallows pride and takes a job in corporate PR department because she needs to eat. Turns out her new boss (the hero) is the a man she almost did the dirty deed with several years back after they hooked up at a Halloween costume party. She's still nursing a crush and he....doesn't recognize her! This is part of a multi-author series, and reads like it. There's quite a bit of back story and series-setting-up competing with the main romance, and it wasn't always an easy mix. Still, a solid read and I'm open to reading more books by O'Brien. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Family Business Runnin' Hero, Ex-Journalist Heroine, Big Secret, Control-Freak Daddy, Seemingly Spineless Mama.
  

His Secret Christmas Baby by Rita Herron, Harlequin Intrigue, 2009

• About to deliver her baby, heroine's BFF makes her promise to look after the child should something happen to her. When she dies, social worker heroine gets creative with the paperwork, but starts asking questions. In response, the baby gets kidnapped. Newly hired hero working for a private investigation firm learns the baby is his, and works overtime to find his son. Evenly paced suspense novel hindered by a skeevy secret baby set-up, some unfortunate plot spoon-feeding, and a motive I found really thin. That said, I would consider reading this author again if the back cover blurb hit me the right way. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: PI Hero Haunted By Case Gone Bad, Secret Baby, Unrequited Crush, Heroine Who Makes Death Bed Promise.
  

Her Very Own Family by Trish Milburn, Harlequin American, 2009

• Heroine looking for a fresh start moves to small town to open her own cafe. Worried for a recently widowed man she meets at the grocery store, she hires him to build her some picture frames. Hero is concerned to hear his still-grieving father is spending a lot of time with some strange woman, and is afraid he's being taken advantage of. When he shows up to investigate, he falls hard for the heroine. Nice, gentle story with nice, gentle conflict. The author avoids some obvious pitfalls, and even when she goes down Cliche Road, it's a short trip (paragraphs/couple of pages instead of WHOLE chapters or half the book). I am so reading more Milburn. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Hero Done Wrong By Ex, Kindly Widower Father, Heroine Looking For Fresh Start, Big Secret.
  

He Calls Her Doc by Mary Brady, Harlequin SuperRomance, 2009

• Doctor heroine returns to small town and runs up against the hero, who doesn't like her all that much because she was BFFs with his younger, now dead, brother. Poorly written and executed back story, improbable character behavior, a pre-teen girl who needs a beating or to be locked in an attic (I can't decide which) and a conflict thread that paints small town residents as ignorant yokels. Doubtful I'll read more by this author, especially since the plan is for more books in this series. Harlequin Cheat Sheet: Doctor Heroine Who Moves Back To Small Town Even Though Everyone There Sucks, Hero Haunted By His Past, Adversaries!, 12-Year-Old Niece Going On 25, Small Town Residents Who Think It's 1950.

I'm hoping I can keep my reading momentum going through June. Seriously, I am so behind....

Little Miss Crabby Pants Gets Her Wee Lil' Baseball Heart Broken

Why yes, I did see the game. I recorded it even. And yes, Armando Galarraga, one of my pitchers, had his bid for A PERFECT GAME snatched away by a blind douchebag umpire who blew the final call on the FINAL FRACKIN' OUT of the game.

Sooooooooo, angry. I'm sooooooooo angry I've had to rewrite this blog post ten times to tone down the swearing and frothing at the mouth.

(My Man: That's it Wendy. Work through your anger....)

Seriously, SOOOOOOOOOO angry. Super Hulk-like angry.

Wendy mad, Wendy smash!

Fat Girls Need Love Too

It would be easy to label Bride Of The Living Dead by Lynne Murray as "chick lit," because on the surface, that's exactly what it is. Single girl in the city, with quirky sense of humor, sarcastic sensibility, and wacky characters surrounding her, finds her Prince Charming. But that's just on the surface. Dig deeper and readers will discover some very outside-the-box elements in this small press release.

Daria MacClellan is an indie film critic living in San Francisco. She adores cheesy monster movies (Roger Corman is a god!), lives in tiny converted garage apartment, and is The Fat Girl. Daria has always been The Fat Girl. But she doesn't dwell on it, and this book isn't spent chronicling her battle of the bulge. No, this book is about Daria falling in love Oscar. Oscar is smitten, the courtship is whirlwind, a marriage proposal ensues. You know what that means? Yep, a wedding. And in a moment of insanity, her parents convince Daria to let her anorexic (seriously, she is) sister whose life has imploded help plan it. The question is - will Daria survive her sister's Type A personality, her past relationship disasters, Oscar's past relationship disasters, and both their families in order to actually make it down the aisle to say "I Do?"

Readers going into this story expecting a traditional romance novel are likely going to be disappointed. The courtship-falling-in-love details are really glossed over. That's not really what this story is about. No, this story is more about getting through all the stuff that encompasses a wedding without losing your sanity - or sight of the fact that you want to have that wedding for the reason that you "love the guy." On that score, this book is pure chick lit. It's not so much about the romance, it's about the heroine surviving life long enough to get her happy ending.

Where the author veers off the cliche track is with her heroine. I loved that Daria's whole existence wasn't wrapped around The Fat Girl trope. This girl has a life. She's funny, she's quirky, she has ex-boyfriends, she's had sex (!) ::gasp::, and she has friends. Certainly her weight is discussed over the course of this story - but Daria doesn't dwell on it, doesn't harp on it, and doesn't spend the whole novel dissolving into tears, wailing about how "fat" she is. She's too busy trying to survive the drama of wedding planning.

Another thing I really appreciated was Daria's relationship with her anorexic sister, Sky. It would have been so easy for the author to write Sky as a harpy, and have the sisters constantly bickering. And while their relationship is, at times, strained, underneath it all I never doubted that they cared about each other. Sky's life is a mess, and she can be cruel, but she's also not The Villain. It felt like a very real sisterly relationship.

The one part of this story that didn't always gel for me was the appearance of a couple of exes (one of Oscar's, one of Daria's). On the bright side though, these two characters play minor roles in the story, and are mostly relegated to the final chapters. What does work is the breezy, chatty first-person narration, and the unique heroine. If you're a fan of the chick-lit, enjoy first person narration, and are looking for a funny, smart heroine who gets the guy, and isn't a Size 2...this is your book.

Final Grade = B

Pearlsong is a small press. You can purchase Bride Of The Living Dead at Amazon (print and Kindle), B&N (looks like only print), at AllRomanceEbooks , or at the publisher's web site (print & ebook).